Braveheart
by zeldaxlove2468
Summary: So I've read a few Loki/OC stories, but I didn't really like any of the OC's, they were all like these plane Janes and Mary Sues. So I decided to write my own. Her name is Alice, she's part of the Avengers. Set post-Thor/Avengers.
1. Prologue

_Wednesday, February 23__rd__, 1692 _

_Salem, Massachusetts_

Screams and shouts rang out through the night. Hysteria had taken over the small town in Massachusetts.

"Quick, Sarah! Downstairs and into the cellar!" hissed Margaret, the old cook. The rustling of petticoats could be heard as two women and a young girl rushed down the rickety steps. As soon as the heavy wooden door was bolted shut behind them, Sarah sunk to the cold stone floor, exhausted. The small child began to whimper and cry softly.

"Hush, Alice, my sweet angel. Mother is here," Sarah cooed as she pulled Alice into her lap.

"Sleep…" she whispered. Clinging to her mother, Alice's deep blue eyes drifted shut.

Margaret watched. Sarah's face, usually beautiful and full of life, now looked tired and worn in the dim candlelight. Her hazel eyes still sparkled though as she pulled her child closer and gazed lovingly at her. She then looked up at Margaret with sadness.

"Margaret, the witch-hunters. They will find me. I will be tried and hanged. Maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow night. But it will come to pass. I have seen it in the stars."

Margaret's eyes welled with tears as she tried to think of the right words to say. To reassure the poor woman, to tell her the stars could be wrong, would be a terrible lie.

"Hush, there is no need for words," Sarah's voice wavered as tears began to form in her own eyes, "I do not fear death."

The old cook sat down next the beautiful woman and child and put a comforting arm around them both. She began stroking Sarah's auburn hair.

"My dear Sarah, you are so brave…" she said gently through the tears.

Sarah turned and smiled at the closest thing she'd ever had to a mother.

"_You _are the brave one, Margaret," she said. But then her face became somber.

"There is one last thing I must ask of you…"

"The girl…"

"Yes…" Sarah said with a worried expression as she brushed the raven hair from Alice's sleeping face. The little girl's blue nightgown rose and fell with her breathing.

"I believe she can lead a normal life. She has a good heart, and a pure soul."

"But, Sarah dear, something…of this nature…has never happened before. We cannot be sure what her future might bring. The child of a witch and a…"

"Vampire." Sarah finished coldly. Margaret flinched at the word.

"What other choice do I have? Alice has the potential to be one of the most powerful beings this realm has ever seen. She could be a servant of the light, or to the dark. But I fear the risk of her falling into the hands of evil is too great…" she said sadly. She looked into Margaret's wise and understanding eyes.

"Please," she pleaded to the elderly woman, "take care of her when I'm gone, but do not tell her of her parentage. The Valkyrie would have her killed if they knew she carried his blood. If she does not learn magic, she will not rise to her full potential. She will lead a normal and happy life."

Margaret sighed, "I will do as you wish, my dear."

"Thank you," Sarah breathed in relief as she leaned her head back against the stone wall and closed her eyes. The shouts of men could be heard above them as many innocent women were dragged off to be tried for witchcraft.

Margaret watched the flames of the candle burn, troubled. It was true, in 4 years Alice had displayed only kindness and affection. She ate food and drank water, and played with dolls. She loved horses and flowers and candy. She was the perfect picture of a happy, healthy little girl. But certain things about her worried the old cook. For one, her skin was cold, like iron in the winter. And sometimes she moved just a bit too fast…faster than she should have been able too. But what worried her most was Alice's appearance.

Margaret looked down at the sleeping girl. Even at only 4 years of age, she was breath-taking. Perfect fair skin, rosy lips, and thick wavy hair black as night. She looked like her father. _A lot _like her father…


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! (:**

**First, thank you thank you to the people who reviewed my prologue! I was ecstatic! :D**

**Anyways, this is my first fanfiction! I'm totally open to brutally honest criticism. Reviews and/or follows would be wonderful! Just so I know someone out there is reading my story (:**

**Anyways, here's the first chapter!**

_Monday, September 23, 2013._

_S.H.I.E.L.D. Base training room, Chicago, Illinois._

He watched from his hidden perch as a beautiful young woman, appearing to be no older than her early 20's, cautiously took a step out from behind the obstacle course's cement wall. Her long hair had come out of its pony-tail and now flowed freely like rolling waves of black ink swirling in every direction. He silently pulled his bow string tight and took aim.

_Hold it Clint. Wait for it…._

She slowly took half another step out. Most days she would be observing her surroundings, taking in everything, but today she was blindfolded.

_Come on…just a little further…_

She took one more step out and was now standing in the open.

_Gotcha._

The master assassin allowed himself a small smile before letting loose the arrow. Just when it should have pierced her heart from behind, she whirled around, caught it, and sent it flying back to its owner in one fluid motion.

_Shit._

He threw himself down onto the gymnasium-type floor as the arrow detonated right where he had been crouched. He tucked and rolled, then glanced up at the woman. The volume and impact seemed to have disoriented her. Not wasting any time he strung another arrow and let it fly in a matter of milliseconds. This time, it found its mark. But instead of slaying her, the steel-tipped aluminum arrow shattered.

"OW! Gosh friggin damn it, Clint! That HURT!"

Clutching her chest, she ripped off the blindfold and glared at him with intense, sparkling blue eyes.

Agent Barton got up and brushed himself off.

"Oh, and throwing myself onto the hard floor from and 8 foot perch was just a walk in the park!" he shot back.

"Instant karma. You shot an explosive arrow at me and look what happened," she retorted.

"Not all of us are indestructible super-humans. Anyways, I still won," he said, smirking at her, "which means-"

"Oh no…" she groaned, her shoulders slumping, all of her rage deflated.

"Oh yes."

"Oh no, please Clint! It's our last day-"

"No way you're getting outta this one, kid. Double archery tomorrow," he said crossing his arms.

"I can barely contain my excitement" she replied sarcastically, still rubbing where the arrow at hit, "I don't understand why I have to be able to shoot with a bow anyways, I can run faster than any arrow."

"Just wait until you're back with Natasha. You'll be _begging_ to be back at the shooting range with me!" Clint said, laughing. Her training had been going back and forth every couple weeks between himself and Agent Romanoff.

"Oh no! Please, sir, please, _anything _but the dreaded Agent Romanoff!" she said in mock horror. They both laughed.

"So, how 'bout we hit the pool? We can do some 'water aerobics'" she said with a devilish smile, making quotes in the air at "water aerobics".

"Water aerobics. Right, you mean let's-see-if-we-can-drown-Clint-today-with-our-ancient-voo-doo-water-bending?"

The woman made a show of smiling sweetly and batting her eye-lashes.

"Pretty please, with a cherry on top? You owe it to me. You shot me."

Clint chuckled and went over to the bench to pick up his bag, with her following close behind.

"Okay, I suppose. But for the record, you shot me back."

"Yes! Thank you!" she grinned at him and gave him a hug, nearly crushing him.

"Meet you there in 5 minutes!" she said, then she was gone, and the door to the locker rooms was drifting shut. He never even saw her move.

Agent Barton slung his bag over his shoulder and began walking towards the pool. Smiling to himself, he muttered, "Alice….you're so full of yourself."

_Monday, September 23__rd__, 2013._

_S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, New York, New York._

_Director Fury's office._

It was the end of a long day. Nick Fury had done his best to make the world a better place. In the end, there were still people dying, still suffering.

_But less at least, thanks to me._

He was preparing to leave for his apartment for the night, when something stopped him. Amidst all the small lights of computers and the soft glow of the monitors, there was another glowing. In the center of the room, there was a dim haze with no apparent origin.

The Director slowly reached for his holster and watched in wonder as the haze began to take the form of a man. The man continued to materialize until Thor the God of Thunder was standing right in front of him, though still flickering strangely.

"Thor! How is it you're here without the tesseract?" he exclaimed, relaxing slightly and laying his gun down on the desk.

"Director Fury! It is a pleasure to see you again!" Thor said, smiling widely, "as for my way of travel, I did not actually come here. This is but a projection of my spirit, and it only lasts a short while. I did not want to risk bringing the tesseract to Midgard."

"I see. That was a wise choice. But I trust this is more than just a social call?" Fury said, crossing his arms and standing in front of the god.

"That is right. I bring grave news...you may have another visitor from outerspace."

The Director listened intently, "Go on."

"For many thousands of years, a race of foul evil creatures called the Vakre roamed though the Nine Realms. Your people commonly refer to them as vampires."

Fury nodded, the gears beginning to turn in his head.

"They lived off the blood of others, and their bite would infect and turn good people into one of them. They were beautiful, often using that to their advantage when seducing their victims, but heartless and cruel. Their race began to spread like a plague, and many feared that if they united with one another they would be unstoppable. Around 300 years ago the Valkyrie, a group of fierce maiden warriors, decided to put a stop to the madness. They organized hunts and killed every vampire throughout the 9 Realms. My father did not agree that was the solution, but he did not try to stop it. It was a terrible loss of life. Every last one had been killed to ensure the race would not come back. But the universe was a better place, or so we thought."

"Somehow they lived on."

"Yes."

Fury's thoughts turned to a girl S.H.I.E.L.D. had recently employed…

"One of the Vakre sired a child, a girl, with a mortal woman. Whether it was a plan to keep the race alive or he actually loved her, we will never know. She was what Midgardians refer to as a witch, a spellcaster. Hiemdall saw this, but knew that telling anyone would result in an innocent child's death. He only just informed father and I yesterday."

"So why is he telling you, now?"

"Because there is another who has seen the girl," Thor said, worry creasing his brow, "Thanos. In my opinion, he is the embodiment of evil. He was one of the reasons for the downfall of my brother," he said sadly.

"What's his game?" Fury was almost positive he knew who the girl was.

"He will try to bring back the Vakre, though not as a scattered bunch of demonic individuals. He will build an army. An army of Vakre would be nearly unstoppable. With their speed and strength, and impenetrable skin, even _I _would be challenged to bring one to its knees."

"Impenetrable skin?"

"Not completely impenetrable, but there are very few weapons that can cut a Vakre," Thor remarked, "but as of now our primary goal is to find the girl. I know only her name, but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s magic boxes should be able to find her," he said, gesturing towards the computers.

"We're in luck," Fury said striding towards a filing cabinet and unlocking it, "I believe we've already found her. Is her name, by any chance, _Alice Wildes?_"

"Yes! That is her!" Thor said, looking surprised.

"We picked her up not 6 months ago," Fury said and pulled out a manila folder. Opening it, he layed it on the desk for Thor to see. A picture of a gorgeous, blue-eyed, smiling girl looked up at them.

"That could most definitely be a Vakre," Thor said, admiring her beauty.

"She put up one hell of a fight when we took her in, but surprisingly didn't kill anyone. One of our agents spotted her intervening in an armed robbery. The local police thanked her and sent her on her way, but our agent reported that something was strange about her. They played back the security tapes from one of the traffic cameras, and saw he was right. Her speed and strength were inhuman. They reported it to me, and I agreed. We went to talk to her, told her we were interested to know how she came about these powers, and she bolted. It didn't take us too long to find her and take her in. If she hadn't been trying so hard to make sure she only wounded and not killed our attacking forces, she probably could have escaped."

"Really? She…has a sense of moral?" Thor asked, intrigued.

"Very much so," Fury said as he flipped through her file, "after we brought her in, I talked to her in the interrogation room. She said she honestly didn't know how she was what she was, she only knew that she'd been born January 18, 1688, and that she stopped aging at 22. Her mother died when she was very young, and the old woman who raised her was killed when she was 16."

Thor looked fascinated.

"I asked her what she thought of the idea of joining S.H.I.E.L.D. She didn't like it much, but I had a feeling she knew the alternative was a specialized prison cell. I told her we were the good guys, that we saved the world and she would be putting her talents to good use. She said many years ago, a man had said very similar words to her, and she ended up killing a lot of innocent people 'for the greater good'. She'd been talking about HYDRA."

"The same HYDRA the soldier was associated with?"

"Same one. And since she's been around for quite a long time, she could have been part of one of the exact bases Rogers took down."

"I see. So, Alice, what is she like? I know the Vakre were very cunning manipulative. My friends and I, and Loki, once came across one. Had it not been for Loki and his knowledge of such magical things, it would have tricked us then killed us."

"She's quite the opposite. After she agreed to join us, she began training with Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton. Barton compared her to a kid on his birthday who's had too much sugar. She's very friendly to all the agents in her current facility, so far everyone likes her. I've been keeping tabs on her, and I have to agree with Barton."

Thor chuckled, "Amazing….but, what is to be done? If Thanos does in fact know she is here, he will not be long in coming. We must keep her from him at all costs. I believe it would be safer if we took her to Asgard, and so Midgard does not suffer the same devastation it did last year."

"You're right, but how will we get her there? I don't want the tesseract back on Earth if Thanos is coming."

"There is a way...but I do not think you will like it." Thor looked at Fury with a cautious gaze.

"If it is the only way, then it's what we'll be going with," stated Fury.

"Very well. There is a sort of road, the same way the Frost Giants used when they first visited Midgard thousands of years ago. But magical enchantments black many paths to all but a Jottun…"

"You'll need Loki." Fury didn't look too happy.

"Yes," sighed Thor, "he has served many punishments for his crimes against Midgard, and is still imprisoned. I believe he will help, and there are enchantments we can place on him to ensure he does not leave my side. We will travel with Sif and The Warriors Three. The journey will be long though...and we will need time to prepare. Thanos may come before we arrive…"

"Leave that to me. We survived and extraterrestrial attack once, we can do it again. Go back to Asgard, tell everyone what's up, then get your ass back here. And make sure your enchantments for Loki are exceptional."

"It is agreed," Thor beamed at him, "And do not worry about Loki, my father will call some of the best spellcasters of the universe. Until we meet again, Director Fury," Thor smiled and nodded, then began to flicker. Soon he was nothing but a haze of light, then he was gone.

Fury sat down at his desk and picked up the phone.

_Guess I won't be going home tonight after all._

He dialed, then listened to it ring. After 3 rings a woman's voice answered.

"Director Fury, this is Hill."

"Agent Hill, something urgent has come up."

"Sir?"

"I'll explain when you get here."

"Yes, sir."

"Agent Hill, we will need to assemble the Avengers."

**Soooo…I hope you guys liked it ^_^ I'm not sure how frequently I'll be updating, but probably no less than every other day (:**

**If you like it, a review would make my day! ;)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello again!**

**So, sorry this chapter isn't very long. I was going to keep going with it but decided to just upload it now and then start a new chapter.**

**Anyways, here ya go :)**

_Tuesday, September 24__th_

_S.H.I.E.L.D Shooting range_

_Chicago, Illinois_

Alice had just spent 2 hours perfecting her technique with the longbow. She'd started learning a few months before but was already almost as good as Clint. Almost. She was leaving to take a break and eat when something stopped her. Amidst all the sounds of shooting and critiquing she heard a pair of heels walk into the shooting range. Nobody wore heels to train in.

She turned and looked across to the other side of the room, and smiled. Agent Natasha Romanoff, in her signature black cat-suit and flaming red hair. A total monster when it came to Alice's training, but had come to be her friend. The assassin scanned the busy training room and soon found who she was looking for. She walked up to Agent Barton with her back to Alice and began speaking.

Alice strained her ears, cursing all the noise in there. She couldn't make out what they were saying. She heard one important thing though- her name. Clint seemed upset now, but was still keeping his voice low and tried not to move his lips. What was Natasha doing here? Alice wondered, she wasn't supposed to be there until the next day. It must be important. She would ask Clint about it when he joined her for lunch.

With that she turned on her heel and made her way to the cafeteria.

"Nat, tell him _no._ She's not ready yet!" Clint knew Alice was listening.

"It's not my call. Besides, we're not even sure what he wants yet." Natasha kept a calm tone, but her eyes were consoling. She knew Barton had gotten attached to Alice in a brotherly way and didn't want anything to happen to her. She couldn't honestly say she didn't like the exuberant vampire herself.

"If he's calling together the Avengers, it must be serious. But Alice just isn't ready yet to be a part of something that big!" he insisted.

"She's more ready than you give her credit for. You forget this isn't the first time she's been involved with something like this. Even though her personality suggests otherwise." Natasha gave him a small smile, "Fury knows her limits. Besides, you and I both know she can take care of herself."

Clint sighed, "I know, but I still worry about what he might have planned for her. He'll do anything if he thinks it's the right thing."

"I know," she looked understandingly into his eyes. "Go get some lunch. Alice knows we were talking about her, she'll want to know what's going on. Tell her everything. Then start packing. I want to leave by 2 tomorrow morning, less people will see the jet at that hour."

Clint nodded, "we'll meet you on the runway."

Natasha nodded back, then turned and headed out. Clint began walking towards the cafeteria thinking about how he was going to explain everything to Alice. He decided he would just tell her casually and let her take in slowly.

He walked into the base's lunchroom and saw Alice sitting by the window by herself, no doubt waiting for him. Thankfully it was still a bit early, so it wasn't very crowded and he got his food quickly. He walked over and sat down across from her. He tried to hide an amused smile as he noticed she had enough food for 3 men.

"Shut up, Clinton. It's this, or I _could_ just go eat one of the security guards," she stated matter-of-factly and taking a drink of her red Gatorade. She then grinned at him.

"Ok, whatever," he said still smiling.

She set down her Gatorade and looked at him seriously now, "Natasha's a day early."

"Yeah."

"So, what's the deal?" Alice looked slightly worried.

"Fury is calling together the Avengers." Clint didn't look up from his French fries.

Her eyes widened. "The Avengers…._the_ Avengers?"

"Yeah, I don't know why yet. But you're coming too."

Her eyes widened even more.

"I'm going to be part of the Avengers?" she barely whispered.

"Most likely. Fury likes to keep everyone in the dark for as long as possible, then he tells us once we start figuring it out." Clint looked up at her now and was surprised. She was smiling excitedly.

"Me, part of the Avengers. I, just, oh my gosh!" she started stumbling over her words, unable to contain herself, "this is so cool! But, what's wrong? It must be something big…" she grew more serious now.

He couldn't believe her. Well, yes he could. Alice never seemed discouraged by anything. Why would she be fazed by the fact she was going to be part of a group of "remarkable people" who's soul purpose was to save the world from freaks like Loki?

"Yeah, but like I said, Fury hasn't told us anything yet. He only told us we were to report to the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in New York City."

"New York?! As in, The Big Apple? The City That Never Sleeps? That's where we're going? When?" All of Alice's excitement returned. She looked like a kid who'd just been told she was getting a puppy.

"Yup, that's the one. We're leaving with Natasha tonight at 2. Have just your personal stuff packed, they'll supply the rest for us there."

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh," Alice now looked anxious as she began running her hands through her hair, "okay, you have to tell me everything about the Avengers. I've only gotten small catches of info. Who all exactly is there?" she looked at him curiously.

Clint casually began putting ketchup on his cheeseburger.

"Well first, there's me and Nat. We're the only two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, aside from Maria Hill who's like Fury's right-hand man. There's also Banner, also known as The Incredible Hulk. He's a genius in astrophysics and actually a pretty quiet guy when he's not a giant green rage-monster." Alice's eyes widened again. She might not have been with S.H.I.E.L.D for very long, but the whole world knew who The Hulk was. Clint continued.

"Rogers is a super-soldier. He fought in World War 2, then crashed into the ocean and froze. S.H.I.E.L.D. found him over a year ago. He was still alive, just in some sorta coma thing. He's very…military-ish." Clint scrunched his face a little trying to think of a way to describe the living legend. Alice couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Then there's Stark, or Iron Man. Whatever you want to call the billionaire playboy philanthropist," he said rolling his eyes. Alice's jaw dropped. Tony Stark. She was going to meet _the _Tony Stark.

"And last but not least is Thor. He eats even more than you," Clint said with a small snicker.

"Thor, like, the Norse god of thunder, Thor?"

"Not _like, _he _is_ the Norse god of thunder."

She just stared at him.

"Not sure what all the details are on him. I do know Earth isn't the only place that supports life though. There's at least one other place, called Asgard, where Thor comes from. You'll have to ask Fury. Or maybe you can just ask Thor himself, he might be there."

Alice had been leaning forward on the table, hanging on to every word from Clint. Now she slumped back, her mouth slightly agape, looking at Clint for a minute. She then straightened up again and put her elbows on the table.

"Okay, let me get this straight," she looked at Clint skeptically, "2 master-assassins, a super-soldier, Iron Man, The Hulk, and a freakin _god_."

"Pretty much."

"And he wants me, too?"

"Sounds like it."

"But, I'm just, I, I," she stuttered, exasperated, "why _me?"_

"Let's see here," Clint said, pretending to think for a moment. He had finished his food and took a sip of Coke, continuing, "immortal with super speed, super strength, super hearing, and skin that can't be cut by anything _I _own, you only have to sleep about once a week, you can manipulate the element of water into a weapon or basically anything you want, AND you have a sense of moral. Now," he said, setting his Coke down and smirking at her slightly, "_why _would you be a part of a group of super-heroes?"

Alice gave him a weak smile. He really was a good friend.

"Now, just go finish training, then start packing. I'll come by your room to get you around 1:30 tonight." He stood up to go.

"Wait, Clint. Thanks," she said gratefully. She then gave him a cocky smile, "But don't tell anyone about my self-esteem issues, because I'm going to walk in there tomorrow like I own the place."

Clint laughed. She really was something.

"Whatever you say Alice."

_Wednesday, September 25__th_

_S.H.I.E.L.D. Runway_

_Chicago, Illinois_

It was a cold, clear night, and the breeze caressed her hair gently as Alice silently said good-bye to the city of Chicago. Maybe in a few decades she would come back and visit. She boarded the small jet, all of her luggage already loaded up.

The inside was roomy, with built-in chairs lining the walls meant for a number of agents. Small fluorescent lights gave it a dim appearance. She walked past and into the cockpit where Clint and Natasha would be piloting. Soon both agents came in and sat down, Natasha talking into a headset to inform the people on the runway of their take-off. Clint smiled at Alice reassuringly.

"Nat will fill you in on the way there."

She grinned at him, "this is going to be fun."

Clint rolled his eyes and started working the controls. Alice sat down behind them and looked out through the windshield at the dark horizon, feeling a bit nervous.

_New York City, here we come._

**Not a whole lot going on, but I'll try to hurry up and write the next part :) reviews would motivate me to write faster ;)**

**~Zelda**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! So sorry it took me so long to write this next chapter, I was in Kentucky for a few days :/ Anyways, I hope you're liking the story so far. It's kind of a slow beginning, but that's because I planned on the story being long. Not sure if I'm going to continue writing though, I've just sorta lost interest :/ what do you guys think?**

**Anyways, enjoy! **

_S.H.I.E.L.D. Tower_

_New York City, New York_

Natasha and Clint and landed the jet smoothly on an air-strip about 6 miles from S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters. They now rode, with Alice, in the back of the SUV that had been waiting for them. The city was bright and busy, even at 3 in the morning. Alice began to memorize the streets, getting a mental map planted in her mind as Natasha's training had taught her.

They soon arrived at their destination. Alice looked up in awe at the looming tower, completely lit up with windows with translucent shades, betraying nothing but light to the outside world. The 3 got out, and the agent at the wheel drove away with their luggage. Natasha led the way up the front steps and through the door into a foyer. They continued to the next door, this one a heavy electric sliding door. After going through a series of retinal scanning, finger-print analysis, and code-entering, the door slid open.

They proceeded down the corridor and into a small office. A white-haired lady in a lavender blouse looked up at them, expressionless.

"Agents Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, and Alice Wildes?" she asked.

"Yes." Natasha replied. Alice only continued to look all around, taking in every small detail of the normal-looking office.

"Proceed to Level 6. Director Fury is waiting for you."

"Thank you."

They then exited the office and went to the nearest elevator in the corridor. Once they were inside and heading up towards Level 6, Alice looked at Clint and Natasha.

"Why such a feeble old lady at the desk of a massive secret agency?" she asked curiously.

Clint smirked at her. "She can kill a man one hundred and one different ways using only the office supplies on her desk."

Alice's eyes widened slightly and stared straight ahead. These people clearly didn't mess around. The elevator then came to a stop. They were now on Level 6. The doors opened up into another office, only this one was massive. Dozens of screens showing the going-ons of the tower covered the walls, all angled so whoever sat at the desk in the middle of the room could see them. Much like the jet, small fluorescent lights were snuggled into the corners, giving the room an atmosphere of a space-ship.

"Barton, Romanoff, thank you for coming. Wildes, I trust everything has been going well since our last visit?" Director Fury stood up from the desk as Clint, Natasha, and Alice stepped out of the elevator.

"Well, the food could be better," Alice stopped as she saw Fury tense. "the food could be better" wasn't something you wanted to hear from a vampire.

"Burgers and fries aren't really my thing. I'm more of a pasta person. Other than that things have been going well." Alice finished casually, ignoring his uneasiness. Clint did everything he could to keep from smiling, though it still showed, and Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Then you'll be happy to know the cafeteria here serves pasta." Fury said somewhat sarcastically, but more relaxed. "Now," he turned to the other two agents, "you all each will have your own room for the duration of your stay here. The gym is open at all times, as well as the cafeteria and training rooms. Expect to be called some time tomorrow afternoon, as soon as Stark arrives. Then I will explain everything to all of you. Rogers and Dr. Banner arrived yesterday. Here are your key-cards. All of the housing is on Level 8. I assume the 2 top agents of this organization and an immortal won't need assistance finding their rooms. Good night."

With that he turned on his heel and went striding back to his desk. Clint and Natasha both said their thanks and then turned back towards the elevator with Alice following close behind.

"Just as charming as ever," she muttered. They began their ascent to Level 8.

The doors slid open once more. They were now at the corner of 2 corridors. About every 30 feet there was a black door with silver numbering on it. Clint glanced down at his key-card and read number 2856. Natasha's was 2857. Alice's was 3974.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm gonna get some sleep. Sounds like tomorrow will be a big day," Clint said, yawning.

"I'm going to bed too. Alice, you should try and sleep too. You'll be more ready for whatever Fury has to throw at you."

"Okay, I'll try. Night guys," Alice smiled at them and then began to head down the left corridor as Clint and Natasha walked down the one straight ahead.

_Yeah, right._

Alice had a small smirk on her face as she walked silently. She soon came to room 3974, about midway down the hall. She slid her card and the door clicked as it unlocked. Walking in, she was pleased to find her stuff still in its suitcase lying on the Queen-size bed. There was also a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform much like Natasha's laid out, only instead of black it was a dark navy blue. It was a very nice room, with a bathroom adjoining it. The bedspread was a navy blue similar to her uniform, and the carpet was a soft cream color. She liked it.

Suddenly she let out a gasp. Around the corner, there was a keyboard. Simple, to her it was the most beautiful thing in the world. She hadn't spent her 300 years of life sitting about idly. She'd known how to play the piano since she was only 40, and loved it with her whole heart and soul. How had Fury known….?

Walking over to the closet, she found 2 more identical uniforms as well as a few casual outfits. All in her size. After looking through the clothes, she unpacked her suitcase. She didn't have much stuff, just an old sweatshirt, pair of jeans, jacket, a brush, hair accessories, her favorite book, and a locket. The locket had been her mother's. She clutched the locket in her hand for a moment, feeling a sharp pain in her chest, then finished unpacking.

Convinced there was nothing left to do, she changed into one of the uniforms. It was made mostly from spandex, she could move easily and it was comfortable. She wasn't a huge fan of how tight it was though, despite her perfect figure.

The corridor was dim and silent as she stepped out of her room.

_Now….where to go first…._

Steve Rogers awoke with a start. It was the same dream that had been haunting him for months now. Rubbing his face and looking over at the clock, he saw it was only 5:00 am. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. Sleep wasn't going to come now. He swung his legs over the bed and walked over to the bathroom. Out of habit he washed his face and brushed his teeth. Looking in the mirror, he suddenly felt angry.

_It might all be happening again…_

He decided the best thing to do would be to go to the gym and work out some of his frustration on a punching bag. Not like he was going to get any more sleep anyways. Soon he was dressed in sweats and out the door, wrapping his hands as he jogged down the corridor towards the stairs. The elevators were too slow for him.

For almost two hours he destroyed bag after bag. It felt good. Around 6:45, he sat down to take a break. Just as he lifted his water bottle to take a drink, about 15 feet away the door to the training room opened. He just about did a spit take as the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen walked in.

"Oh, hello! I'm so sorry, I didn't think anyone would be in here at this hour, I'll, just, come back later," she said as she started to turn back towards the door.

"Oh no, it's fine, I was just finishing up," Steve said as he stood and took a few steps towards her, "I'm Steve. Steve Rogers." He held his hand out to her. He noticed she wore a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, but she seemed young, younger than most of the agents he'd come across. Her eyes widened slightly.

"You're…Captain America. Wow, it's an honor to meet you." she gracefully walked up to him and shook his hand. "I'm Alice Wildes. Well, _Agent _Alice Wildes, but you can call me Alice." She smiled brightly at him.

"Yeah, that's me," he gave her a small smile. "and you can call me Steve. So, do you box?" he said gesturing towards the punching bag. That was the soul purpose for the room, it was completely stocked with punching bags and had hooks all along the low ceiling. She didn't have any tape or gloves though.

"Nah, I actually just came down here to explore a little. I just got here a few hours ago. I've never had much use for a punching bag," she said as she examined the bag.

"Not much use for a punching bag?" Steve looked at her quizzically. What kind of person didn't like to beat the crap out of a sand-filled bag every once and a while? She smirked at him, then turned and with one punch sent the bag flying across the room where it exploded against the wall.

"Too fragile" she looked back at him and let out a small laugh that reminded him of wind chimes. His mouth was slightly agape. Who _was_ she?

"Where did you say you were from, again?" he asked, still slightly shocked.

She smiled mischievously, "I didn't. But don't worry, I'm almost 100 percent sure Fury will tell all of you."

"All of who?"

"The Avengers."

Steve had started unwrapping his hands, but he now stopped. What did this woman have to do with the Avengers? Before he could ask, she changed the subject.

"Well, I'm gonna go find some breakfast. Would you like to join me?"

"Actually, I need to shower and change first. Meet me in the cafeteria?" he smiled at her.

"I'll save you a seat." She grinned and then walked out of the room.

Alice walked with her tray of food over to a table where Clint and a man she didn't know were seated.

"Hey, I was beginning to think you'd fallen off the face of the earth," Clint teased.

"What, and leave you alone to face the wrath of Fury once he found out you lost me? Nah, I wouldn't do that to you." She laughed as she sat down next to him.

"Of _course_ you wouldn't. Oh, Alice, meet Dr. Bruce Banner. Banner, this is the kid I've been telling you about."

Alice gave him her usual bright smile, "Hi, I'm Alice Wildes. It's great to meet you, I think the work you did in India is incredible. You saved a lot of lives and helped so many people."

"Thank you," Bruce said, appreciating the fact someone knew him as something other than the Hulk, "it's nice to meet you too. Clint's told me a lot about you."

"I hope he only told you the good things" she said giving Clint a sly glance and starting on her pancakes.

Just then Natasha walked up to the table, with her usual I'm-sexier-than-you walk, sporting her usual stony expression.

"Alice, come with me please. Banner, Barton, Fury wants you and Rogers in his office. Stark is here."

Well, good morning to you too Natasha!" Alice grinned at her and stood up.

Clint gave Natasha a concerned look, but if the stoic assassin noticed, she didn't show it. She turned and walked out of the room, with Alice bouncing along behind. Steve walked up just as the two women left.

"Fury wants us in his office. Now." Clint looked grim. "We'll finally know what Hell we'll be going through next."

"So where we goin?" Alice had to work to keep up with Natasha's long strides.

"Just because we're in New York doesn't mean I won't be continuing with your training."

Alice groaned, "Oh _joy_."

The red-haired agent couldn't help but smile slightly. She turned and looked hard at Alice.

"Today, do your best."

"You know I always do."

They arrived in a large, high-ceilinged room in an underground level of the tower. The walls were all white, as well as the floor. In the middle were 2 very modern looking swords.

"Pick up the blades, and wait for my order."

Natasha walked across and through a steel door. Soon, Alice could hear her voice through speakers in the walls.

"Each time you get hit I add a point. Points are bad. The more you get, the longer we'll be here. If necessary, destroy the opposing force."

"So, should I be destroying you, or whatever machine is shooting at me?" Alice grinned as she imagined Natasha rolling her eyes. She picked up the swords and started twirling them around. She hadn't done this type of training before. The speakers crackled to life again as 3 shafts in the ceiling snapped open, each one revealing what looked like a 23rd-century laser machine-gun.

"Hope you're ready. Go."

The Avengers (minus Natasha and Alice) were gathered in Nick Fury's office, all seated around a conference table. The Director had just told them how he found Alice, and of his encounter with Thor, and what Thor had told him. They'd been none too happy to hear that Loki would be revisiting Earth as well.

"So basically, you called us to protect this super-woman-vampire from some super-god until Thor and his pals come to pick her up?" Tony asked.

Clint looked icily at Fury, "or are we here to hold her as a prisoner, to make sure she doesn't run once she hears we're sending her off to a world she didn't even know existed, with a handful of gods and that freak."

Fury looked un-phased as he sternly replied, "a little of both actually. We can't let Thanos get her and go through with his plan, an army of that level of power would be capable of wiping out earth's population in a matter of hours. So if she has ideas of running away, tough luck. I don't intend to let her run off and get captured just because she didn't _feel like_ going to Asgard."

"I don't think Alice would run," Steve had been quietly listening until now, "I don't think she'd endanger her home planet. I could be wrong, I only met her briefly, but she doesn't strike me as a coward."

"I would have to agree," Banner said timidly, "I saw her this morning, and read her file. She doesn't really fit the demonic immortal description Thor gave you."

"What, so I'm the only one here who hasn't met this kid?" Tony mocked offense, "after all I do for you people, and I'm the last one to know everything. Shame."

Ignoring Tony, Fury said "I agree I do not expect her to run. Therefore, if it comes down to fighting, she will join you. Her…_gifts_… and skill-level would be a very valuable asset."

"You say she's a Vakre, which are some type of demonic super-human," Steve looked skeptical, "but _how_ super? What are her limits and strengths?"

The Director allowed himself a small smile, "I believe it would be easier for me to show you, than to try and explain it."

A giant screen appeared in front of them, showing Alice standing in the middle of a large white room twirling two blades. They could hear Natasha's voice explaining the points system.

"So, should I be destroying you, or whatever machine is shooting at me?" Alice's cool voice replied, but she couldn't hide the grin from the camera.

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said beautiful," Tony removed his sunglasses, "and she's got enough cheek to smart-off to Tarantula! Ha! I love her already!"

Their eyes were all glued to the screen as they watched her display of incredible speed. Red laser beams shot at her from every direction as she twisted, twirled, and ducked. She soon figured out the blades were just as much shields as they were weapons, for the red beams bounced off them. It seemed as if she could go on forever, never tiring, but then she was gone. If you had been looking closely, you could see a blur of black hair and navy blue shoot across the room and jump off the wall up towards the ceiling. The sound of metal breaking metal could be heard, then one of the laser-guns crashed to the floor, along with Alice. She landed gracefully and rolled out of the way. One down. Two to go.

Constantly dodging red beams of light, she disposed of the other two guns in the same manner, though most of the time none of the Avengers even saw her move. Except for Clint, who knew the best opportunities to attack, and knew she would take them. She was left standing in the middle of the room again, surrounded by debris. There wasn't a single scratch or burn on her suit, and no more lasers were flying around the room.

"How many points, Nat?"

"Zero."

"Does that mean I can go finish breakfast?"

"Yes. Good job today."

"Thank you." Alice smiled. Praise from Agent Romanoff was hard to come by, so every little bit was appreciated.

The floating screen in Fury's office disappeared. Most of the Avengers were slack-jawed.

Tony whistled, breaking the silence, "so _that's_ Alice Wildes…."


	5. Author's Note

******Author's Note*******

Hello everyone. I'm sorry I haven't updated in, like, forever. My brother was diagnosed with lymphoma; spinal cancer. So, as you can imagine, my mind hasn't really been stable enough to write. Your prayers would be appreciated 3 Just wanted to let you know though, that I WILL be continuing the story as long as there are people following it. I should have the next chapter up in a couple days.

Also, thank you to the guest reviewers, and special thanks to Reaper Airuisha. Your review made me smile :)


	6. Chapter 4

**Hey guys!**

**So sorry it's been so long! I won't bother rattling off excuses, but let's just say, reality sucks sometimes :p **

**Good news though! My brother is going through chemo, and he's on the road to recovery! :)**

**Anyways, Loki comes in in this chapter! Yey! Haha so, here ya go, enjoy! Reviews are wonderful, btw;) I love to hear your thoughts! **

Alice began making her way back to the cafeteria, hoping to finish her meal, when Clint came jogging up behind her, a crooked smile on his lips.

"Not bad," he chuckled, "for a rookie."

"Not bad? I was freakin awesome! And don't you forget it!" she laughed. Suddenly, the wall behind them exploded. Red lights started flashing and men with guns came running out into the hall. One was shouting commands, and the rest kneeled down and aimed their weapons at her. Or so she thought.

She turned around to see what they were actually pointing at; a tall man with dark hair dressed in abnormal green clothing.

"Hello, Agent Barton. Nice to see you again," he said smugly has he stepped over the rubble, smirking. Right away, she knew exactly who he was. She'd seen his face only once before, in one of SHIELD's files. Natasha had told her about what he'd done to Clint, how he'd been possessed. She felt white-hot rage bubbling inside at the thought of her friend being hurt like that. There were others behind him, about to follow him through, but Alice was oblivious. She wasn't going to stand by and watch him try to take over the world, or hurt anyone, again.

In the blink of an eye she sent him crashing back through the wall, herself closely following and straddling him to hold him down on the floor.

"Alice! Wait!" Clint tried to stop her.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you, _Loki,_" she growled. She held his wrists down, glaring at him, expecting fear. His emerald eyes looked into hers with a flicker of surprise, then they were cold and menacing.

"Get. Off me. Or _you_ will be the one to _die,"_ he hissed. He moved to throw her off, but found she was a lot stronger than he'd expected. She allowed herself a small twitch of a smile. Men were all the same. He'd be scared now that he knew she was stronger. She felt her stomach drop a tad when he returned the glimmer of a smile, an evil glint in his eye, then threw her back through the opening where she collided with someone and crashed into the opposite wall. A tall, muscular man with a red cape and blonde hair, rubbed dirt out of his eyes and started to pull himself to his feet.

"My lady, may I help you?" he reached his hand out to her.

"Thor…I wouldn't…" a woman with long, strait, black hair pulled into a pony tail looked cautiously at Alice. Alice didn't even notice them. Or the 3 men standing off to the side, one who happened to be laughing at Thor's expense.

"Oh, Thor! 10 seconds on Midgard and already you can't keep the women off you! Hohoho!" a heavy-set man with a thick red beard guffawed. Alice was on her feet, crouched and ready to spring her next attack. Loki stepped back into the hall, looking hostile as ever. His icy glare unnerved Alice. Where did he get eyes like those? Men, she could deal with. She was faster. Stronger. Smarter. But this one was different.

"WILDES!" Fury barked, striding down the adjoining corridor towards her. Alice's head snapped up. The Avengers followed behind, Steve and Bruce looked concerned, while Mr. Stark could barely contain his amusement.

"Agent Wildes, I do not believe you were authorized to make an attack," Fury was standing right in front of her now, glaring daggers at her. She straitened up and looked him in the eye.

"_So_ sorry," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "_next time_, I'll run and get you to sign my permission slip, THEN defend SHIELD! What's-"

"Director, it was my fault," Clint interrupted, "I hadn't told her the plan yet. I was just getting ready to, when-"

"When my friends and I made the mistake of teleporting into the building," Thor finished for him, "it seems that Midgard's buildings cannot withstand the impact that comes with teleportation," he said thoughtfully.

"I wasn't expecting you for at least 2 more weeks," Fury directed is gaze towards the god of thunder, "how did you make it here so soon?"

"Soon?" Thor looked genuinely confused.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Alice said, exasperated.

"I talked to you only a few days ago," Fury said, ignoring Alice.

"Thor, how is this possible?" the woman with the pony tail spoke up.

Loki had been glaring at Alice, knowing it made her uncomfortable. He now turned to the others, rolling his eyes, "the time between the realms goes at different rates. Our weeks of travel was likely only 3 days here on Midgard."

"Oh right I forgot! We learned all about that in Real-Life Experiences with Norse Mythology 101!" Tony said sarcastically, earning a deadly look from Loki.

"Good," Fury said, before Tony could piss off the demi-god any further, "this gives us more time than I'd thought."

Alice's eyes flicked back and forth between Fury and the group of new-comers. Thor was just as she imagined him, if not taller and more impressive, and perhaps more polite. The dark-haired woman was beautiful and fierce at the same time, and her 3 companions looked like the warriors of old. And then there was Loki. She always thought that if she ever looked into his eyes, it would be as she killed him. She'd looked into the eyes of evil men before. They were always cruel and full of malicious intent, with a touch of insanity. Loki's were empty…and bitter…and hurt…like he'd never known joy. She felt an unexpected pang of sympathy, then quickly whisked it away, scolding herself. He was the enemy. Pure and simple.

"I'm sure you're all tired after such a long trip," said Fury, breaking her thought, "Agent Phillips will show you to your rooms. We can discuss matters later this evening." A nervous agent from the ranks of gunmen walked up.

"Very well! We shall see you again when the sun takes its leave of us," Thor said, and they followed Agent Phillips away.

Hours later when darkness had swallowed up the city, they were all seated around a metallic conference table. Monitors beeped and hummed behind them. Alice had spent the day with Stark, it seemed he was a bit put out at being the only one who hadn't formally met her, and felt the need to make up for lost time. He'd interrogated and tested Alice, and had Jarvis log it all in a computer file. Everything from what she looked like to what she ate, her IQ and even which shampoo she used, much to her amusement. He told her it was strictly for research, but the glint in his eye suggested otherwise. She decided she liked the snarky billionaire. His arrogance could be irritating, but his overall desire to make the world a better place, and the lengths he would go to achieve it, made her respect him.

"Alright, now that we've busted up a few walls and witnessed New York City's first vampire vs god smack-down, can we discuss what the hell is going on?" said previously mentioned playboy.

"Some answers would be nice," Alice said with a curious glance at the Asgardians. She was nervous. Her whole life she'd wondered what exactly she was, and now it seemed she was about to find out. What if she didn't like what she heard?

"I think it would be best to let Thor explain, since he knows firsthand," said Fury with an ominous gaze towards the god of thunder. Thor glanced at Alice, then proceeded to speak. He told the whole story, from when the Valkyrie slaughtered the Vakre, to Heimdale discovering that Thanos had evil plans for Alice, to SHIELD finding her and Thor speaking to Fury. He also told a briefly of their journey from Asgard to Midgard, explaining why they needed Loki to use the road the Frost Giants had taken long ago. All of them there had heard all this except Alice, and they now looked at her expectantly, some nervous to what her reaction might be.

_I'm a monster, _she thought, a feeling of self-loathing and despair coming over her, _I was never supposed to have lived. There's not even any others like me. But I still have so many questions that are unanswered…_

She glanced at Loki, and thought she saw empathy, but it vanished as soon as he caught her eye. Clint, who was sitting next to her, put a comforting hand over hers. She looked towards the rest of them, a look of determination on her face.

_I'll deal with this later._

"What do I need to do?"

Natasha gave her a proud smile that came mostly from her eyes, and the rest of the Avengers seemed to do the same.

"The plan is for you to go to Asgard," Fury replied, "you'll be safer there, ergo The Nine Realms are safer."

"You want me to leave? I can't just leave you all to fend for yourselves against this Thanos creep," Alice said defiantly, "I can help. Together we can beat him."

"Your courage is admirable," said the dark-haired woman, who Alice had learned was the Lady Sif, "but Thanos cannot be beaten by mere mortals, even such extraordinary ones as yourselves."

"Lady Sif is right," Fury agreed, "you being here would just make things worse. If Thanos comes and you're long gone, there's a chance he'll move on and keep looking for you."

"A small chance! How do we know he won't wreak havoc, _then_ move on?" Alice said, beginning to get a little angry. How could they expect her to just run? Everyone exchanged glances, all knowing she was right, but knowing that it was necessary. The risk of her being captured and an army being made was too great. Even Tony was quiet.

Loki, who had been silent the whole time, now spoke darkly, "If Thanos comes and learns that you aided the escape of his primary war weapon, he will undoubtedly do everything in his power to obliterate your lovely little city."

"Well it didn't really work out when YOU tried, now did it?" Clint practically snarled.

"No, and it didn't really work out for your little friends the Chitauri met either, did it?" Loki sneered back.

Before Clint could leap across the table and rip Loki's throat out, Steve spoke up, "We don't have much choice. We can't let Thanos take Alice, under any circumstances. So either she leaves, and we do our best when Thanos gets here, or she stays and we risk her being captured."

"And even if we could hold him off, as long as she's here he'll keep coming back. It would only be a matter of time before he got to her," Bruce said calmly, his arms folded over his chest.

"I don't see what the big fuss is about," Tony said nonchalantly as he reclined back in his chair, "I think Thanos is all talk. If he had the power to destroy Earth, why did he send Reindeer Games?" instead of glaring, Loki looked mildly interested, as well as Thor and the rest of the Asgardians.

"I mean think about it," Tony sat up and gestured with his hands, "even after we whooped Loki's butt, Thanos didn't come knocking. We could barely stand on our feet. _That_ would have been the time to take over the world. Maybe he's got an other-worldly flu or something."

"The Man of Iron has a point," Thor mused.

"Then Alice goes," Fury said with a sense of finality in his tone, "the sooner she leaves Earth, the better off we'll be. We defended our home planet once, we can sure as Hell do it again. Especially since there's a good chance he's not as powerful as we think he is."

Alice sat back in her chair feeling slightly defeated. She knew it was for the best, but something just didn't feel right about running and leaving her friends, and her planet, to a shadowed fate.

"Very well," she said a sigh.

"Then we will leave at dawn!" Thor said, a bit too enthusiastically for her mood, and the meeting was adjourned.

It was still early, only about 7:30, and since Alice didn't sleep much anyways she decided to go back to the training room and mull everything over. Leaving her planet to go to a place she didn't even know existed, with people she barely knew. Her heart was fluttering with every step through the metallic corridor. She heard footsteps, someone jogging behind her, and turned to see who it was. At the far end of the hallway was Clint, so she stopped and waited for him.

"Hey kiddo, working out again?"

"Yeah. It helps me think."

They fell into step next to one another and continued in the direction of the training rooms, Alice not really paying attention to anything he was saying. Loki hadn't really been what she'd expected. For one, he was way more attractive than anyone had described him, and the picture she'd seen didn't do him justice.

_I think Earth's number one war criminal is sexy. Ha. Great. I wonder what Clint would think if I told him. I doubt he'd take it well…probably not a good idea…_

"Alice!" Clint elbowed her, bringing her back into reality.

"What? Oh, sorry, sorta zoned out…"

"I said, do you want to set up the hand-to-hand combat ring?"

She looked around and realized they'd arrived. The familiar scent of rubber and the echoing of their footsteps on the gym floor soothed her.

"Sure," she turned and smiled at him. He was her closest friend, and she felt her heart wrench when she realized she'd probably never see him again. She looked into his eyes and realized that was probably why he came with her, to spend one last evening training together. He gave her a smile in return, but she could see the sadness he was trying to mask.

Just then, the door burst open and Stark came striding in, followed by Thor and Sif, and Loki sauntered behind.

"Hey! My favorite assassin and vampire, hangin' out in the gym!" Tony beamed at them, "I'm just showing Point-break and his lady friend here around, and of course Rock of Ages needs a baby-sitter at all times so he's here too."

"Awesome, Clint and I are just getting ready to have a go-round. Feel free to watch him get his butt kicked by a blind woman," Alice said, smirking devilishly as she picked up her blind-fold.

"You fight blindly?" Sif said, and even though Alice couldn't see her she could hear the puzzlement in her voice.

"It's the only way I have somewhat of a challenge against a pathetic mortal such as Clint," Alice said jokingly in the direction of Sif's voice. By now Clint had raised a platform that was much like a boxing arena with the push of a button, and put on his protective padding.

"Pathetic mortal! There is _nothing_ pathetic about some of us mortals, sweetheart," Tony said with a sly grin and a wink.

"Alright Bella, let's go," Clint raised his arms as Alice readied her stance. Fighting with him was always fun for her. He'd swing, and she'd duck, hearing the swoosh before it hit her, and she'd retaliate, listening to the beating of his heart to locate him. He'd also talk to her, giving her tips and instructing her form. He used to beat her, but now with his training she mostly won. She always had to be careful of how hard she hit or kicked though, she could easily break his bones. After a series of jabbing, swinging, kicking, and dodging, Alice finally pinned him face-down on the floor. She pulled the blindfold off triumphantly, and Clint rolled over and pushed her off, laughing.

"I bet Bella Swan couldn't do _that,_"Alice said proudly, but laughing none the less.

"Oh, I have to log this. Jarvis, put this down- Vampire mix thingy whoops Agent Barton's ass; blindfolded," Tony said as he poured himself a drink from the water cooler.

"That was quite impressive," Sif said, walking up to Alice, "I thought for sure I was the only maiden warrior of that skill level, but you have proved me wrong."

"Why thank you!" Alice said smiling at her. She liked this woman, Sif. She was a fighter, like Alice.

_At least there's one person I can be friends with in Asgard._

"Hey! How about Thor and Alice have a go," Tony said as he sat down on one of the wooden benches, "you know, Asgard's Mightiest vs. Earth's Mightiest type thing."

"I'd love to!" Alice's eyes lit up at the idea of a real fight, no blindfold and no worrying about broken bones.

"I would not want to hurt the Lady Alice," Thor said, laughing at her enthusiasm.

"You spar with me all the time, Thor!" Sif crossed her arms and challenged him, a smile playing on her lips.

"Getting beat by a woman would be hard on his pride," Alice said nonchalantly, pretending to inspect her nails, "I understand..."

"The Mighty Thor would not be beaten! I accept your challenge!" Thor boomed and leapt up onto the large platform. Clint pat him on the back on his way out and wished him good luck, then sat down next to Tony and Sif.

Alice glanced over at Loki, who was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed on the more shadowed side of the gymnasium. She thought she saw him roll his eyes, but she couldn't be sure. She turned her attention back towards Thor and grinned at him, then the battle began.

His size and strength were a huge advantage over her. While she could usually beat Clint with her reflexes and lightning speed, they didn't help her much against Thor's bulk. Each kick or punch she landed on him was like a friendly nudge, despite the fact she used all her strength. Quickly she was starting to tire from attacking and dodging. She knew she would have to be clever, using his size against him and her agility to her advantage. Opportunity came knocking when he lunged at her with frightening speed. She grabbed hold of his right arm and twisted herself so she was facing away from him, and jerked up with all her might, his momentum carrying him up and over her, then slamming him down on the ground. Taking advantage, she leapt on top of him and pinned him down with her knee in his chest. He looked up at her, surprise all over his face, and her wind-chime laughter rang out through the room.

"Okay, why didn't anyone film that?" Tony said, looking at Clint and Sif who were smiling and chuckling.

"You're a great fighter!" Alice said as she helped Thor to his feet.

"Apparently not as great as I thought I was," Thor chuckled.

Loki snorted from the dark corner where he stood watching. Alice narrowed her eyes at him.

"Do you think you could do better?" Alice said lightheartedly, though the darkness in her eyes and her defensive stance challenged him.

He leered at her, setting her teeth on edge, and said simply, "yes, I believe I could."

"Would you like to try and prove that claim, perhaps in a duel?" she was treading on thin ice, and she knew it.

"Alice…" Clint said warningly.

Loki's eyes seemed to glimmer as he looked at her, his voice smooth and velvety when he spoke, "A duel without weapons or magic is a rather poor one, don't you think?"

Alice merely scoffed at him and turned towards Clint and the others.

"As I suspected, he _is _in fact the coward I've heard about. He knows if I could beat Thor I could certainly beat him," she said evilly, knowing she'd most likely just touched a nerve. For a moment she felt remorseful, but then remembered Loki's jibe at Clint from earlier that evening, and the remorse faded. She turned to face him again, and her breath caught in her throat. He was standing right in front of her, just inches away, a dangerous glint in his eye. She could see every detail of his face now. His ivory skin was flawless, contrasting with his long raven hair that was slicked back. His eyes were swirling kaleidoscopes of greens and hints of blue, lined with dark lashes. He had a wintry smell, like pine and frigid air, with a touch of mint. She hated the effect he had on her; with most people it was the other way around.

"Well, if you insist, love," she could hear the barely suppressed anger in his voice, despite his calm and silky tone.

"Alice, I wouldn't do this," Clint stood and glowered at Loki, who merely smirked at him.

"Hey, Cupid, Dracula can take care of herself," Tony remained impassive, but Alice could tell he was a bit tense, "he doesn't have his hoodoo-voodoo magic anyways." Thor and Sif exchanged nervous glances, but said nothing.

"You'd better listen to your little friends," Loki taunted.

"Alice, he's dangerous," Clint tried again to warn her.

"So am I," she murmured.

And thus, the battle ensued.

She'd never fought like this before, ever. Her speed had never been matched by anyone on Earth, and neither had her strength until Thor, but Loki was almost faster and definitely stronger. They kicked, jabbed and punched in a flurry of movement, a beautiful yet dangerous dance, each one trying to find an edge. Seconds blended into minutes, and she lost all track of time. At some point, Tony's voice cut in.

"Hey Drusilla, whatcha think? You're having a karate match with the megalomaniac god that tried to take over the world. You can add that to your résumé on your Vampire Diaries application."

"I think," she said, then ducked a kick and parried a blow, "you might have been wrong," she tried in vain to the kick Loki's legs out from under him, then rolled to avoid being crushed, "when you said _Thor_ was Asgard's mightiest."

Loki faltered slightly, but that was all she needed. She grabbed his shoulders near his neck, then hooked her leg behind his and pushed herself forward, causing both of them to fall to the ground, with her holding herself up over top of him, successfully pinning him to the ground. She allowed herself a smile, and her blue eyes shone gleefully.

"But _I_ am Earth's champion," she whispered.

His eyes burned into hers, and he chuckled darkly, a husky noise from the depths of his throat, "Oh, but my dear, you haven't won yet."

Her brow furrowed slightly. What did he mean, she hadn't won yet?

"You see…" he tilted his head forward and whispered in her ear, causing shudders to run down her spine, "you've abandoned your footing."

Dismay flashed across her face as she realized, too late, he was right. Her feet held up only part of her weight, in a push-up position, so that the majority of her body mass could pin his shoulders down. But her feet were right next to his, so all it took was a twitch of his ankle to kick them out from under her, and she was lying flush against him. Faster than she could think, he rolled over, so that she found herself staring up at him. He had a look of pure triumph, his eyes glittering malevolently.

He had beaten her.


End file.
